It’s Go Time!

Imagine how different you’d be feeling if not for that last 7.6 seconds of Game 5.

But ya boys now have a chance to close it out and move to the ECF and the Devils. Of course, we use the word “chance” lightly because this will be, most likely, the hardest game of the series to win. And let’s not forget that every game in this series so far — as well as all of Washington’s seven games in the first round, and the Rangers’ last six in the first round — could have gone the other way.

Washington will be desperate as hell. Won’t be easy for the Rangers to match that.

Expecting the same lineups. Expecting you guys to go through all the emotions. Expecting I will try to not dissuade you from those emotions … though some of it borders on, or completely crosses the line of ridiculousness.

I still think we need to get our shots elevated! Any goalie can stop those low pucks that we have been throwing at him. Start challenging him with the blocker and glove and I think the results will be different. That is if we ever start playing like we want it…

i didn’t think it was going to be easy
but
my mood turned when the deja vu hit via the ovi goal
and
we’re playing alright for a 0-0 game
but not looking too much
at least right now
that we’re gonna do all that much tonight

Jpg- I obviously not going to be able to convince you, but Ovechkin can score 9 out of 10 times from that position, I don’t care who is the goaltender. That’s why he is being paid $10M for 10 or so more years.

ilb
i agree that ovi is one, if not the best, player in the world
and he has a treeeeeeeeeeeemendous shot
but the whole situation just got to me
and
ovi
almost made it 2-0
by getting the puck up in the top corner

if it wasn’t for that deja vu moment
i wouldn’t be too unhappy with the period.
we’ve moved around their around
although we aren’t showing enough urgency to finish it off

That’s a lousy break, because it all started with Bickel’s icing that shouldn’t have been icing — went through Hamrlik’s skates … and apparently was reviewed. Then a timeout. Then a lost draw by Richards. Then a shot off Backstrom’s toe.

I really just gave a round of appalause to the Caps! That was amazing by them! They turned their penalty kill into a PowerPlay for themselves! God I love our PP and how we can turn a no-name goalie into a Vezina finalist!

when del zaster always thinks pass and doesnt have a shot the pp wont run effectively. why not mac or staal to fire one. they have two point players in richy and del zotto at times that all they think is pass pass pass. its a freaking disgrace.

All I’m saying is some people don’t understand anything but the scoreboard. And to think this team is mailing it in, or whatever word you want to use, is some of the dumbest thing that could come out of anybody’s mouth.

If youre gonna get called for roughing, then we damn well better get some roughing in. Prust oughtta come out of the penalty box and rough up the Capitals bench by swinging his stick and hitting a few homers.

I am not blaming DZ for our PPs failure, but the way he plays on it really embodies everything wrong with our PP. His strength is his vision and breakout passes and skating, and he doesn’t use that much when hes playing the point

orr
come on del zaster is not the only one but hes a big part of the fact he has no shot hes indecisive and he thinks pass all the time. why not try staal for extended time or mac. mac never plays pp time. i know the only reason mac doesnt play pp is his minutes would be through the roof.

Rangers PP really needs to win some draws. Rangers really need to step it up but, what the hell was that call on Prust?? If you can be called for diving, you certainly should be called for over-acting. Torts needs to shake up some lines and get Kreider out there with Hagelin. ALOT of dumb comments above.

Del Zero is just awful on the PP. have to be honest about it. he is ok until the play gets set up inside the zone, then he is useless, because his popgun shot is not taken seriously by any opponent, and he tries to force the passes thru the slot.

well, I’m glad I’m missing this event to watch this game and hang with youse guys cause this is what it’s all about. this team is so blue-collar, (how blue collar are they?) we will always be on the edge of our seats, and nothing is certain except that these guys really want this win. if you don’t see that, you’re blind. and if you’ve turned the game off, go take a long walk…

they gotta find a way to get in front, and they will. the 3rd will be NVTS! (really hopin’ I’m right!)

I have a feeling we will come out strong this period. If not Amtrak will be waiting to bring us back up for a Saturday game. If we lose this game, then game 7 we better come out fast and hard. However, as I always say, a two goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey! Let’s go NYR!!!

The PP of both teams is really the only difference in this game. I think the Rangers have played decently otherwise, just need to generate some better chances off the forecheck. Can’t question effort with this team.

the Rangers don’t look bad but they don’t look as good as they could be or should be
as in 75% of game 5 where they shot more and showed tenacity on scoring on
this non-allstar goalie
as in displaying the gut check of finishing this series
ala
the devils, kings and coyotes

and i know you’re griping at people who are only pointing to the scoreboard
but in the end
the scoreboard matters!!!
(if it didn’t matter, bettman would be getting ready to hand cindy the Cup tomorrow afternoon!)
we NEED to score 2 or more tonight
or at the very least 2 on saturday in case ovi gets a 3rd deja vu chance at beating Hank glove side
and right now
it looks as if a line featuring Carp/Gross/Brooks
could do better

God the PP looks aweful. It is so stale. There is no creativity at all. Point to point to goal line to point. Just so predictable. I really wish Torts would try different players. How about giving Kreider and Mcdonagh a chance. Agreed Del Zotto looks awful. It’s like he is afraid to be creative.

Why is Torts wasting Callahan and Kreider by plauing them with Boyle and Rupp. We need some offense. Need to put 2 offensive lines together at this point and attack.

Are the Rangers playing with sticks with holes in them. It seems thay can not handle the most basic of passes from tape to tape.

My opinion is that a team that struggles to score goals is – shock, horror – struggling to score goals. Same as when they were struggling to score goals in games they were winning. Effort, desire, passion, urgency about as much to do with it as John Scott.

But anyway, Let’s Go Rangers!!!! I love this team with my entire phony optimistic body!!!

Not giving up on this game or this team. My opinion is that Lloyd. But I am not mad at you or your sunshine. My opinion is I want to beat the caps. The boys have four periods. Perhaps it’s tonight. Perhaps it’s Saturday.

what kind of guy would that be? a guy who hasn’t had to make more than a handful of meaningful saves in six games of a playoff series? that’s the benchmark for goaltending now?

Rangers doing what the Rangers always do, make middling goaltenders look like worldbeaters. Of course it doesn’t help that the guy calling the games made a living by singing the praises of the most overrated goaltender in the history of the sport.

where’s all that Jack Adams talk???? clearly getting outworked tonight…….skating by net, too much effort to stop…………wonder how many times we will hear about it being part of the process after game 7??????? your heroes are in trouble…………………

Mitchell won a big face off, but you’re just pissing away time putting that guy out there on power plays. That Tortorella has decided Kreider is only worth of time on the 4th line hasn’t helped either.

Barry Beck said it best a little while ago – You have a chance to close out the team that beat you 2 out of the last 3 years and you can’t find the right amount of snarl?

I hope the Rangers are rightfully upset with their effort tonight and step it up on Saturday night. Because while I’m sure others think otherwise, I just don’t think we’ve matched the Caps’ intensity tonight. And considering the Rangers talked all day and night about elevating their game and matching the Caps’ intensity…it’s just disappointing as all hell

I like this sudden revelation that Lundqvist has difficulty with high glove-side shots. Forgetting for a moment that there isn’t a goalie left in the league who stops high shots because they all put this stupid butterfly, have any of these broadcasters watched Lundqvist before?

it just bugs me that these announcers can’t be honest about how poor the Rangers chances have been in this game. all shots from all mile out, most with nothing on them. but yeah, give Holtby the Vezina. guy has earned it.

“outworking” the other team means nothing when you can’t penetrate within 40 feet of the goal mouth. Rangers have failed to generate any credible scoring chances. all the skating in the world doen’t amount to very much when you’re taking wristshots from the blue line all nights.

Linda, while you’re the best, some of these jackwagons around here are the worst. Seriously, log-off losers. While I appreciate your frustration with the lack of scoring, I have challenges tolerating your negativity.

Cue the come back saying you’re just being realistic, and then I will just reply that you are pathetically masochistic.

because no one here believes the Rangers aren’t a good team…it’s just not as simple as “Rangers played a poor game = Rangers suck.” a lot of simple minded folks here seem to resort to that argument whenever the Rangers are criticized but I’d like to think not everyone thinks that just because we’re calling the Rangers out for not playing their best, automatically it means the Rangers should have been the 9-seed in the conference.

The Capitals played an AMAZING game. I said we needed to elevate shoots and we did. Holtby has just been amazing. We did not play well either for much of the game, but we did not play absolutely horrible

Disappointing result tonight, for sure. But after 95 games in this now-memorable season, the one thing we should all be in agreement on is that the Rangers are incredibly resilient. Let’s give the club the benefit of the doubt and watch them deliver in Game 7.

ilb, better ice doesnt help the Rangers, it helps the opponents. The Rangers are used to the bad ice, and therefore have the advantage, and the more skilled guys like Ovechkin are theoretically hindered by the bad ice.

Pierre McGuire is the biggest POS in the history of S’s. Seriously. His quotes tonight ONLY praised Holtby, as he’s done this series. He hilighted the glove side goals which were essentially all 1-timed 95mph slappers Hank got pieces of as “bad” goals. He commented at the end of game 5 “Well, this one won’t matter” concerning the double minor against Hags. And tonight some of his fine work included “Jeff Halpern is the first maryland trained hockey player to play for the Caps.” Yea, who gives an Eff? “I think the Rangers need to find a way to get more offense.” Genius commentary from a bald pedophilic toadface azzhat when the Rangers are losing 2-0.

And then Doc goes and calls EVERY SINGLE GD PLAYER WRONG IN THE FINAL 6 MINUTES?! Seriously guys? This is like watching a circus act. Outside of “Edzo” they’re all pathetic.

No bridge jumping here, just disappointment. This team was out coached, out skated and out hustled all night. It is unbelievable, but true. The deserving team won this game tonight. Why the Rangers insist on putting forth such a mindless, effortless performance is a question that I will never have answered or understand.

That’s one thing I’ll say about the Rangers! They can NEVER make things easy for themselves! I hope that they don’t bring the effort they showed tonight to Saturdays game! To many guys looked like they were a bundle of nerves tonight! Anyone who says home ice isn’t an advantage could see why it is in the amount of faceoffs we lost tonight! Still, they had no jump at all tonight! I hope they get their stuff together by Saturday!
I don’t think our boys are quite ready to call it a season just yet…

I thought the effort was there basically all night long, it just didn’t produce anything of substance. Unfortunately, you don’t win hockey games on effort long.

Anyway, Rangers get another crack to finish this thing on Saturday, and I’m pretty sure they’ll have a better game plan than “get Mitchell out there” and “throw wristshots from 55 feet out with no traffic in front.”

Linda, perspective for me is, this is a real shot to win it all this year. Other years, we’ll have to face the Bruins or Sid the Skid and we’ll be cheated out of the building by the referees in those series. Speaking of which, a pretty fairly refereed game tonight.

Gravy
I’m not sure if he is, the only thing I am curious about is the Alzner Carlson matchup (I understand they had last change tonight), but maybe split up brich and gabby a bit to try and get away from that pairing.

I basically turn NBC Sports on at 7:35 and shut it off the second the game ends and would wholeheartedly recommend doing the same to others. I’m not watching Mike Emrick, Pierre Mcguire, Mike Milbury, Keith Jones, etc. for a moment longer than I have to.

kudos to whoever questioned Tortorella’s line decisions tonight. if he’s going to criticize the effort (which I thought was pretty good), he should be taken to task for putting guys on the ice who give you no chance of scoring.

– It’s over. Move on. If they get lucky again in game 7, the Devils just get luckier. I’d rather bow out now. The Caps are a much more worthy opponent of the Devils than we are. Clinging on for life , 7 game series, 1-goal games all the way through against the 7th and 8th seed? Scorers not scoring…PP a disgrace…Hank with the left hand of a reluctant third grader….Come on.

– Does anyone hve Tortorella’s email?

– I was thrilled when Torts was named Coach. If this Club bows out Saturday nite, blow the f’ng thing up with this “Coach” having the dynamite up his ass to start the party! I’ll even drive to NYC to light the fuse.

I have to go ahead agreed with Ilb, outside of the PP which “SUCKED,” the work and effort was their. They lacked creativity, but that’s their norm, and they didn’t finish, again another norm. Just tonight they looked especially impotent because they barely (by the cushy tush of Karlson) got A goal.

Pierre said they’re going to need to generate more offense. I don’t get paid to broadcast the game, so I certainly couldn’t top that Madden-esque exquisite analysis.

“I won’t be watching game 7..I will be rooting for a deserved loss from afar. I’ve felt thins team was fool’s gold all season long and damned if they haven’t proven it. Tonight they wiped away any prode that had been gained in the previous game, or the previous series. This team flat out sucks, and I don’t know who could deny that. There has never been a moment during these playoffs when it felt like the NYR were the better team on the ice. Maybe at times the scrappier, or the more desperate. But they’re not desperate enough to overcome their many, many flaws. There’s a lot not to like about this team, and a lot I will NOT miss watching when this season is over after game 7.”

I won’t be watching game 7..I will be rooting for a deserved loss from afar. I’ve felt thins team was fool’s gold all season long and damned if they haven’t proven it. Tonight they wiped away any prode that had been gained in the previous game, or the previous series. This team flat out sucks, and I don’t know who could deny that. There has never been a moment during these playoffs when it felt like the NYR were the better team on the ice. Maybe at times the scrappier, or the more desperate. But they’re not desperate enough to overcome their many, many flaws. There’s a lot not to like about this team, and a lot I will NOT miss watching when this season is over after game 7.

Bottom line is that the Rangers have to produce more offense. Yes they had over 30 shots but Emile Francis could have stopped them. They were not high quality chances. No traffic in the crease ares to distract Holtby. No chances for freak bounces. Need to get to the net hard.

Oh and Torts needs to change up his combinations. Needs to put Callahan and Kreider in situations where they can produce offensively. I know Mcdonagh has been getting tons of ice time but you gotta give soem PP time. He atleast has some creative instincts.

If you keep bashing the team you root for, you have a 29 in 30 chance of eventually being right.

Wicky, Torts generally doesn’t play matchups, at least from what he’s said in the past. Gabby got some chances in this game. Hagelin hasn’t been able to generate chances as consistently as he was earlier, but that to be expected from a first year player.

I believe that a desperate team did just enough to win tonight. And while Holtby isn’t the next coming, he did a good job of controlling the puck tonight.

Who lumped you into NN, Wicky? And I do agree that he often says things to motivate them. The effort was there, they just couldn’t match Caps’ effort. It’ll be easier to match at home, I think he believes this line gets most of the chances, I doubt he’ll separate them

There is momentum but it just sways very easily and quickly from game to game. For the second game in a row the Rangers came out following an OT win by Anton Stralman taking a crappy penalty, then leaving Ovechkin wide open in the slot and boom there goes the momentum. They looked terrible tonight it was clear they weren’t scoring.

I’ll be missing the game on Saturday as well, will be out camping in the adirondacks. But i will DVR the game. I missed the last game seven also and that turned out good for our boys. Let’s GO Rangers!!!!!!